Agscent x Optiweigh at Coota Park

At Blue-E we have always been a proponent of using new and available technology to help us more effectively measure, manage and improve the performance of our cattle. We have been testing for feed efficiency for the longest of any herd in the world, and in recent years studies have shown that feed intake is directly correlated with methane output. This means that more feed efficienct cattle emit less methane - a real positive for producers who choose to use more feed efficient genetics.

Agscent are a company bringing advanced technology from other industries into the livestock sector. They have created a small, portable unti called Agscent Air that measures methane levels in an animals breath. In conjunction with Optiweigh, another exciting Australian livestock business, they have added their Agscent Air unit to the Optiweigh in paddock weighing unit, enabling collection of both liveweight of cattle and methane output of those same animals.

We are currently trialing one of these Agscent x Optiweigh units on a very unique group of Q and R cows here at Blue-E. These cows were feed tested and methane tested as weaners in our feed efficiency testing facility, and then tested again for methane output on pasture as first and second calvers with a C-Lock greenfeed unit. There wouldn’t be many groups of cows in the world, let alone Australia, with the depth of measurement for feed intake/efficiency and methane traits as this group of cows.

These cows are currently using the Agscent x Optiweigh unit and we look forward to seeing how the data stacks up to their previous measurements, as well as any other trait correlations!